Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he is “sad” he will not be able to beat his former side Arsenal in the Champions League next year.
The Gabonese forward was spotted in Monaco ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc took pole position after a red flag caused a stoppage just before the end of the session.
In a short interview with air sportsthe Barcelona striker showed respect for the Gunners and claimed it is ‘a good thing’ that they are back in Europe.
Aubameyang revealed: ‘Yes [Arsenal were] very close and I think they have improved a lot and I’m a bit sad because I wanted to catch them in the Champions League.
“I have a lot of friends there, but of course I wish them all the best for next season. I think it will be a good thing to return to the Europa League as well and hopefully they can win it.”
The Gunners narrowly missed a spot in the Champions League, as they finished two points behind rivals Tottenham and will therefore play in the Europa League next season.
Aubameyang sealed a transfer to Barcelona in January after a spat with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta – with the Spaniard citing disciplinary reasons for the 32-year-old’s exclusion in the weeks leading up to the transfer.
Since then, Aubameyang has scored 11 LaLiga goals for Xavi’s side including an impressive hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu during El Clasico.
The Catalan giants secured a spot in the Champions League next season after finishing second in their league 13 points behind champions Real Madrid.
